Whip-actuating device.



No. 781,460. PATEN'TED JAN. 31, 1905.

' W. L. RAWLS.

WHIP AGTUATIN'G DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

alibi nay 4 UNITED STATES Patented January 31,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. RAWLS, OF BELLS, TENNESSEE.

\ WHIP-ACTUATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,460, dated January31, 1905.

Application filed November 25, 1904.. Serial No. 234,311.

To all whom. it may cortceww Be it known that I, VYILLIAM L. RAw s, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bells, in the county ofCrockett and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Whip-Actuating Devices; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeanduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to whip-actuating apiparatus; and it consistsin-the construction and arrangement of the parts, which will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a whip-actuatingapparatus which can be secured to the dashboard or other suitable partof a movable Vehicle in such manner that the ordinary carriage-whip maybe securely held in position for immediate application by hand or footto either horse, of a team without interfering with the manipulation ofthedriving-reins.

A furtherobject of my invention is to provide a whip.actuatingapparatuswhich can be secured to any movable vehicle in such manner that it willbe instantly availableto the driver by foot or other pressure withoutloos-- ing the hands or either of them from the reins to incite the teamor single animal to the performance of their or its proper work. a

To these ends my invention consists of an and their relation to thegearing of the cen.

tral shaft. Fig. 3 is an end View of the same.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the adjustablewhip-socketas applied inposition to the outer 'end of the central shaft; Fig; 5 is a sideelevation of the same, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thespring-clamp by which the whip-socket is adjusted in various positions.

Similar letters of'reference occurring on the several figures indicatecorresponding parts.

Referring to said drawings, A represents the inclosing frame, within theside bars A of which are journaled the shafts carrying the gearings B Band G C, respectively, each set .of gears being located diametricallyopposite each other, as fully shown in Fig. 2. The larger and lowermostgears B B, one on each side ofthe inclosing frame A, are each providedwith winding=springs EE, respectively, whereby motion is imparted tosaid gears at *the proper time and for the purposes as will behereinafter more fully referred to. The

teeth of these gears B B engage with pinions secured to the shafts ofthe upper smaller gears O C, one on each side, to impart motion to thesame. Each of these smaller gears G C have their teeth cut away atregular intervals, forming spaces 0 0 around the peripheries of thesame, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, for the purposes hereinafter referredto. Betweenthese two gears C C" is centrally located a still smallergear-wheel D, affixed to the inner end of the centrally-projectingwhipshaft D, which is suitably journaled in the central bars A of theinclosing frame A, as shown;

Ioo

Near the upper ends of and between the side bars A are ournaledspring-actuated shafts F F, one on each side of the inclosing frame A,as shown, and located a short distance beneath the same aresimilarly-journaled smaller spring-actuated shafts G G, which are eachprovided with a downwardly-projecting arm or red g g, having their lowerends bent at right angles to engage the spaces 0 c of the gears C C, theshafts F F also having downwardly-depending arms or rodsff, the lowerends whereof are bent into the form of a loop to encircle the outer endof the rightangled projections of the rods 9 g. Upon each shaft F F isprovided an outwardly-projecting rod f, each rod being formed with loopsat their extreme outer ends for engagement with similar loops in thetops of vertical rods H H, one on each side ofthe inclosing frame A, thelower ends of said rods being connected to the outer ends of the arms ofthe foot-treadles I 1, respectively, as fully shown in Fig. 1.

Near the outer end of the centrally-projecting shaft D is provided anadjustable whipsocket D, which is composed of a flat steel spring (Z,the forward end of which is bentin the form of a loop and riveted to theshaft, while the rear free end is provided with a series of notches oneach side, as fully shown in Fig. 4. A spring clamp or bracket (Z,(shown in Fig. 6,) formed, preferably, of wire and having a central loopwhereby it is riveted to the under side of the shaft D, is provided forengagement with the serrated end of the whip-socket D to adjust the whipto the desired angle, the upwardly-projecting springarms of said clampor bracket engaging with one of the series of notches on each side ofthe free end of said whip-socket, as fully shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Itwill thus be seen that the free and serrated end of the whip-socketpasses between the spring-arms of the clamp or bracket (Z and is held inposition by the series of notches engaging the spring-arms to give thedesired angle to the whip. which is accomplished in the followingmanner: Upon the top of the loop or curved end of the whipsocket D issecurely attached the whipholder CZ, having a set-screw for holding thewhip the rein. Now by pressing the loop portion forward, causing thefree end of the serrated plate (Z to also move forward between the armsof the clamp (Z the whip will assume any of the various angles indicatedby dotted lines 1, 2, 3, and t, (see Fig. 5,) as may be desired. Acorrespondingly backward movement of the loop of the whip-socketrestores the whip back to its vertical angle.

The construction of my invention being as above described, the operationof the same is as follows: The device is preferably attached to thedashboard of the vehicle, in front of the driver, by means of boltsengaging with the lugs a on the corners of the inclosing frame A, whichis adapted to he covered and protected by a suitable case or hood, (notshown,) while the arms I I of the foot-treadles are pivoted to lugssecured to the floor of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 1, and through therods H H operate to actuate the whip in the following manner: \Vhcn thedevice is in its normal position, or in a state of rest, the teeth ofthe small gear I) on the inner end of whip-actuating shaft D engage withthe spaces 0 c on the gears G C, and the rightangled bent ends of thetrip-rods 1 also rest in these spaces 0 c to keep said gears fromrevolving. The motive springs E l5 upon the lower gears B B being firstwound up, the device is then ready for operation. When it is desired toactuate the whip to the left-hand side, as in the present instance shownin Fig. 2, the trcadlc on that side is operated to draw down the rod H,and it in its turn pulls down the arm f on shaft F, causing the rod f,whose looped end encircles the trip-rod r/, to lift the bent end of thesame from engagement with the space (r in the gear C, permitting saidgear to revolve and engage with the teeth of the gear 1) on the centralshaft D to oscillate said shaft a predetermined distance to the left,and thus actuate or give the whip a quick stroke to the left. The gear Omoves around until another space 0 intervenes and into which the bentend of the trip-rod actuated by the spring on its shaft G, immediatelyengages to bring said gear to a state of rest, while the spring I),engaging the central bar A of the inclosing frame A and the shaft 1),restores said shaft and the whip carried thereon to their normalpositions ready for another movement either to the left or to the right.It must be kept in mind that the spaces 0 c on side gearings C C remainopposite the gear D on shaft D when the device is at rest, and thefunction of the trip-rods g 7 is to hold them in such position until thetrip-rods r on either side are operated to manipulate the said gears tooscillate the central shaft 1) and the whip carried thereon to eitherthe right or left hand side, and thus strike either horse of the team,as maybe found necessary. 'lhelength of the stroke of the whip may beregulated by increasing or decreasing the number of teeth on the gears CC between the spaces (1 c on their peripheries or increasing ordecreasing the number of teeth on the gear 1) on shaft D. For instance,we will assume that the gear D on shaft D has thirty-two teeth and thatthere are eight teeth in each group on side gears C C. so that in theoperation of the gears the number of teeth mentioned would carry theshaft one-fourth revolution around before stopping at the next space 0or (1 on the gears C C and restoring the shaft 1) to its normalposition. By having only twentyfour teeth on the gear D its shaft Dwould be carried one-third revolution around, and

ployed. The operation of the whip to the right, or ina directionopposite to that above described, is accomplished in substantially the.

same manner by depressing the foot-treadle at the right, thus operatingthe trip-rod onthat side of the mechanism and actuating the gears onthat side to impart motion to the central shaft andthe whip carriedthereon.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a movable vehicle, of a whip-actuating device, awhip adjustably supported thereon and ,means for operating the same,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a movable vehicle, of a whip-actuating apparatuscomprising an inclosing frame carrying spring-driven gearings adapted tocoact with a gearing upon the whip-actuating shaft to impart motion-tothe whip carried thereby, either to the right or to the left,substantiallyas described.

3. The combination with a movable vehicle of a whip-actuatingapparatuscomprising a whip-actuating shaft carrying the whip adjustablysupported thereon, and mechanism for actuating said shaft, substantiallyas described.

4. In a whip actuating apparatus, the combination with an inclosingframe adapted to be secured to a vehicle, of two sets of springdrivengearings which are adapted to coact with a gearing upon awhip-actuating-shaft to impart motion tothe same, eitherto the a left orto the right; said gearings being controlled by levers adapted to beoperated by hand or foot, substantially as described.

5. In a whip-actuating apparatus, the combination with an inclosingframe adapted to sets of spring-driven gearings, arranged opposite toeach other 1n saidinclosing frame, and whereby motion 1s imparted tocompanion-gears having alternating series of teeth, groups, and vacantspaces between the same;

said gears coacting with a central .gear upon the whip-actuating shaftto impart motion to the same and said gears being'operated andcontrolled. by trip-rods connecting with levers be secured to the bodyof a vehicle, of two 1 to be operated by foot-pressure, substantially asdescribed. 7

' 6. In a whip-actuating apparatus, thecombination with an inclosingframe adapted to be secured to the body of a vehicle, of two sets ofspring-driven gearings B, B coacting with mutilated gears G, C to impartmotion to the central ,gear D of the whip-actuating shaft D,

when the trip-rodsg, g are released from engagement with the spaces 0, 0of the mutilated gears C, C, respectively, through the medium ofconnecting-levers operated by foot-pressure, substantially as described.

7. In a Whip-actuating apparatus, the combination with'an inclosingframe A, provided with two sets of spring-driven gearings B, B,

central gear D upon the whip-actuating shaft I D, and the'mutilatedgearings C, C, of the trip-rods g, g on spring-actuated shafts G, G androds f, f on shafts F, F connecting with rods H, H and levers I, I of afoottreadle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, WILLIAM L. RAWLS. "Witnesses:

W. R. CRIoHLoW, J. E. JEEKs.

